When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for a people to do something incredible, be it land on the moon, invent the dropkick or devour the world’s largest hot dog, it becomes our business. Every day on the calendar is a silent monument to these epic hours in humanity: remarkable feats of strength, heroism, and sexual prowess that future generations continue to scratch their heads over.

Today is one of those days: a day when the ordinary became extraordinary, when jaws were dropped, when $#!+ got real, and when quite a few people pulled stuff off that ultimately got them laid. October 9, we at Man Cave Daily salute you as one of the Badass Days in History.

So, what makes October 9 such an unusually badass day in history? How wise of you to ask:

The Final Countdown

At one point more than a thousand years ago today, the date and time read 10/9/876 5:43:21.0. How cool is that?

Unless you’re British, in which case that was a month ago

WoW

World War II: Episode I

During the Seven Years’ War in 1760, a Russian army led by Count Pyotr Semyonovich Saltykov captured Berlin. It was the 18th century equivalent of reaching the final level in Call of Duty: World at War.

Picture this, but with powdered wigs

Kepler’s Supernova

Supernova 1604, perhaps better known as Kepler’s Supernova, was first observed in 1604 in northern Italy. It was the last time a supernova from the Milky Way was observed.

Not counting this piece of $#!+

Obelisk Rex

The Washington Monument officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888. It was the tallest structure in the world when it was finished. It remains the world’s tallest stone structure. And the hardest.

And the sexiest. Er…moving along…

The Black Sox Blue Ball Baseball

The Cincinnati Reds win the 1919 World Series thanks in enormous part to key Chicago Black Sox players deliberately throwing the game.

Not pictured: Anyone who looks remotely close to Ray Liotta

Lucy in the Sky with Diamond-Hard Muscles

John Lennon and Joe Pepitone are born on the same day in 1940. South Korean weightlifter Jang Mi-Ran is also born this day, and she can hoist you in one hand.

It’s a pretty good day for South Korea, all told

El Fin

Not too bad, October 9. Not too bad at all: a numerical oddity, Korean characters, a global conflict, a huge explosion, a baseball scandal, a singing walrus, and one of the most popular t-shirts on the planet. Why Japan hasn’t made an anime about you, we’ll never know. October 9, you are undoubtedly one of the Most Badass Days in History.